DUNDEE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — A 12-year-old boy in Dundee has many heroes to thank after falling through the ice in a pond early Tuesday morning.
It happened around 8:45 a.m. near the Cabela’s sporting goods store in Dundee.
Jonathon Garza was at the Hungry Howie's working as a truck driver. Due to the weather, he was running behind on his route and just happened to not have his earbuds in as he usually does. Both changes in routine helped lead to what came next.
“I was coming up the ramp to take my second load in and I heard someone screaming out for help, screaming bloody murder,” Garza said.
It took Garza a few moments to realize what was happening. He turned and saw a young boy in a nearby pond yelling for help.
“Immediately, I just went into parent mode," Garza said. "I have a young daughter, so I just immediately thought how I would feel, so I got on the phone with 911 as quick as possible.”
The boy had fallen through the ice and was now stuck in freezing water. Garza says first responders arrived in minutes.
“When I pulled up, I saw the young lad out there, out in the middle of that water, 50 yards off shore. And it was like, what do you do?" Dundee Police Department Officer Joe Schumaker said. "Instincts kick in, reflexes kick in.”
At 72 years old, Schumaker wasted no time. He grabbed an emergency ring buoy near the water and went for the rescue.
“I didn't know how long he had been in the water. I would have hated to stand there and watch him go down," Schumaker said. "So I just went there, got about this far from me to you and got on my belly and started crawling for him.”
But that’s when Shumaker also fell through the ice. He then gave the ring to the boy and pushed him up out of the water as fellow officers, good Samaritans and firefighters pulled them both to safety.
“That ice was that thick," Schumaker said making a small gesture with his hands. "That's all it was, less than 2 inches.”
"He had no fear," Garza said of Schumaker. "He went right out there like it was one of his own.”
Just as that 12-year-old boy safely returned home to his parents, Garza returned home to his 3-year-old daughter and Schumaker returned to work just hours later. All of them playing a role, in a heroic rescue.
“Without the help of everyone pitching in, everyone had a job and came together and it worked out perfect,” Schumaker said.
“God works in mysterious ways," Garza said. "I'm just glad I was in the right place at the right time to help that young man see another day.”
There were also two Dundee residents, Paxton Barnes and Garret Desbrough, who helped in the rescue. Police warn all residents to be wary of thin ice, especially as temperatures warm.
